Donner Company Essays

Donner Company Essays Donner Company Paper Donner Company Paper The company has specialized in making circuit boards for experimental devices and for pilot production runs. The basic work process can be divided into three important stages preparation, image transfer and fabrication. The companys president Edward Plumper believes that the company is more adept than its competitors at anticipating and resolving problems inherent in new designs and prototype production techniques due to highly skillful employees with substantial experience that the company has employed. It supplies the schoolmarm over bare copper (SMOOCH) boards under the made-to-order setup, resulting in high variety but low volume and the company charging a premium on its boards. However, this competitive edge has been compromised due to problems being faced in terms of productivity (caused bottlenecks, shifting bottlenecks and improper utilization of labor), quality of the product being manufactured (high rate of product return has been a major problem), and problems associated with the delivery of the final order (most of the shipments are dispatched towards the end of the month). These problems have begun to hamper the overall performance of the firm, and the management has started evaluating the companys position and different strategic policies to overcome those problems. Process Flower process comprises of 3 distinct stages: Preparation of image, Image transfer on the laminate panel and Fabrication into desired profile (size and shape). At the end of the fabrication stage, the circuit boards are inspected, checked and packed, and stored for dispatch in racks of 20 panels. Although some operations are modified for several orders each week depending on customer requirements, a typical work cycle is shown below. Donned had invested $80,000 in buying a technologically advanced CNN machine to perform the drilling and router functions. These processes can also be performed annually, hence, it becomes extremely important to decide when to use the machine and when to perform the action manually. During the drilling step of Image Transfer stage, the standard process involves the use of either automated CNN Drill or Manual drill to complete this step. Both these drills differ in terms of their setup and run times. For the profiling step of Fabrication, either Punch Press or automated CNN Router can be deployed for the process depending on the number of circuit boards in the order. We have done the breakable point analysis to decide the objective criteria for the use of the drills as well as profilers. Breakable point analysis Table 1 : Image Transfer stage: Drilling (CNN Drill vs.. Manual drill) CNN Drill Manual Drill Set up time for 1 order 240 15 Run time per hole (1 circuit board has 500 drilled holes) 0. 04 0. 08 Number of circuit boards N N Total time (setup time + Run time) 1 Breakable point: 240 + = 1 5 + N = 5. 92-6 Hence, we conclude that for orders with 6 or lesser units of circuit boards, there is no need to use the CNN machine for drilling purpose: Manual drilling will suffice. For orders above 6 units, the use of CNN drill will reduce the processing time as compared to manual drilling. Hence, in such a scenario it mak es more sense to employ CNN machine in the drilling process. Table 2 : Fabrication stage: Profiling (CNN Router vs.. Punch Press) CNN Router Punch Press Set up time for 1 order 150 50 Run time per circuit board 0. 5 1 Number of circuit boards N N Total time (Setup time + Run time) 150+0. 5*N 50+1 *N 200 Breakable point: 150+ 0. 5*N = 50+ As can be observed from the calculation above, the CNN Router should be put into use when the number of circuit boards is greater than 200 whereas Manual Drilling should be employed when the order size involves lesser than 200 circuit boards orders. This decision will prove economical for Donned both in terms of costs and processing times. However, we loosely analyze Exhibit 2 (mentioned in the case), to calculate the implied utilization of the CNN machine for drilling. Stage Demand (in hrs) Capacity (in hrs) Implied Utilization CNN Drill, Image Transfer 196 20*8 = 160 196/160 = 122. 5 % Assuming, no. Of working days in a month = 20; No. Of working hours per day = 8 Table 4 This utilization of CNN drill (100%) for orders of circuit boards more than 100 shows that it will not be feasible to use it for smaller orders (greater than 6) Bottleneck Analysis We analyses the Dry Film Photocopies operation to identify the bottleneck in the recess. It is very important to understand the true capacity of any process in order to prevent bottlenecks and enable uniform distribution of work load across stages. If we assume that the maximum number of circuit boards that the photocopies area can accommodate is only 50, Donned should ensure that no more than 50 units reach it from the drilling stage. Orders with more than 50 units will result in creation of a bottleneck at the Photocopies stage and the efficiency of the entire manufacturing process stands to be compromised because of the pile up of the work. Because of the existence of multiple steps during this stage (with separate set up and run times), it is critical to analyses each step in detail to identify the creation of bottleneck. In Appendix B, we calculate the capacity of each stage for 8, 80, 800 circuit boards. No. Of boards 8 80 800 panel prep 738. 46 5485. 71 15360 Laminate and Expose 174. 54 960 1745. 45 Develop 190. 099 1745. 45 9600 Table 5 We can see from the above table that the capacity of the laminate and expose operation is varying depending on the number of circuit boards in the order size. This is creating inconsistency in identifying bottle neck in the process. Productivity It is difficult to evaluate the shop productivity precisely, the production bottleneck shifted daily from one operation to another resulting from differences in order size, from orders bypassing some operations , due the differences in circuit designs and the four-day rush orders (3 such orders per week). Thus, a number of machines were idle more often than expected (they ran at low capacity), pointing to process design inefficiency. Some of the major issues identified are: Time spend in reworking parts that failed inspection or were returned was not included The time squired for moving the boards between operations was also not reflected in the cycle time this resulted from the current layout of the operations in the plant Due to huge uncertainty, it is difficult to predict productivity precisely. Several machines were idle more often than expected and the time schedule did not include time spent reworking parts which failed inspection and returned by customers. The Job methods used for production have a scope of improvement and time standards are not feasible for any Job on the shop. The machining operations are kept isolated and separate from etching, plating and imaging. This is because the plating and etching processes release acid vapors, which may lead to corrosion of machine tools. Similarly, the machining operations create dust and affect the other processes. Due to such isolation, time taken between these processes/ stages is high. The operation is sequential in nature. However, for drilling operations, the management hasnt done a breakable analysis to choose between manual labor or to use the CNN machine for the same purpose. No effective Job improvements and constant shifting of workers from Job to Job and other immediate problems. Raw materials are currently simmered for fulfilling expedited orders. This may lead to an order remaining as a Work in Progress (WIPE) order, in the firms manufacturing stream for longer duration than necessary. This is further delayed as it requires another shipment that is now consumed by rush orders. Recommendations: The distance between the Machining and Plating divisions should be minimized as a lot of in-process time goes in between. However, in order to ensure that the other processes are not affected by acid vapors and dust, physical barriers such as partitions or vapor resistant screens can be used. This will serve the purpose, and at the same time will reduce the time spent in between. Donned Company should focus on completing small orders for Smocks. This will help enhance productivity gains, optimum labor utilization and improved quality assurance as the firm possesses both the experience and confidence to assure a high degree of success. Small orders do not require frequent changes in design and hence can thoroughly reduce the Work in Progress. Focusing on only small-volume orders would require the firm to increase their raw material inventory levels and well-planned and timely acquiring, but would also decrease the inefficiency of the raw material simmering process from hampering the entire process altogether. The idle time of labor can also be reduced as such orders will utilize the high skill-sets of the Donned employees. Moreover, by making such uniform order types will make it much more sustainable for the firm to plan resources and share information. Quality This factor was critical to increase the sales volume and recently the company has faced failures in maintaining the quality standards. Some of the major issues identified are: Customer returns increased from 1% to 3%, nine-tenths of which was because of failure to complete mom of the required operations. Failure to formally define quality from the customers end this resulted in sometimes bad shipments being accepted and the good ones being rejected 7% of the boards were rejected at the pre-shipment inspection stage (as of September), 6% of which were because of incomplete operations and then reworked. Recommendations: No formal inspection standard was available: A standard order with design specifications like tolerance etc. Must be taken from the customer during order placement. These order instructions must be followed unanimously across the production line by different workers. This will reduce the loss of one tenth of boards that had been returned because they were out of tolerance. 6% of 7% boards returned because Donned had missed or failed to complete one or two of the required operations: This is due to lack of information coordination between different workers handling various operations. Currently at Donned, until a Job was shipped, the factory order and blueprint were kept by Flattery who gave them to any worker requiring information. This may lead to loss of vital information among workers regarding the order process. Hence, a structured process flow consisting all operations must be communicated by David Flattery to the four assistant supervisors who spent about 10% of their time instructing the workers. These assistant supervisors must ensure that this process flow is maintained and all operations are performed. The inspection at the last stage must ensure all the specifications mentioned by the customer in the order manual are satisfied. Delivery The company promised to deliver boards order within 3 weeks and orders greater than 1000 circuit boards within 5 weeks of placing the order. But the orders were being delayed by more than a week because of some of the issues identified low: The current shipping policy of the company emphasized on clearing all the work out of the shop prior to the end of each month and thus the shipments were mostly done in the second half of each month No inventory was kept by the company, thus for each new order that was logged in searching for the raw material took 2 days and procurement of the same took 4 days. Small interruptions with regular operations were created by the 4-day rush orders and the small orders (8 circuit boards or less) being routed through Arthur Defied 25% of the delays due to design re- specification / hold Recommendations Shipping policy existent exerts pressure on quality delivered: Current shipping policy of Donned is heavily loaded in the last week of a month. Since the new orders are typically taken in the start of the month with a promise of three week delivery and 6% out of 7% rejected products are shipped again within two-three days, most of the shipping happens in the last week of the month.

Legalization of Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legalization of Drugs - Essay Example However, before entering to the discussion about whether these drugs need to be legalized or not, it is necessary first to understand what drugs are. According to Gottfried, (2010), drugs are chemical components that are taken by individuals and have effect on how body works or functions. However, not all drugs are unsuitable. Medicines are legal drugs, but they help fight diseases and help the body function better. Nonetheless, some drugs are illegal. These are drugs that are addictive and have negative effects on human beings. Rationale of society and drugs The issue of legalizing drugs draws mixed reactions because different cultures have different views regarding the use and significance of these drugs. For example, some societies believe that the use of some drugs like marijuana has some spiritual significance attached to it (Gottfried, 2010). Cultures like Rasta movement popularly practiced in Jamaica believe that using marijuana is holy and has no harm using it. They believe t hat since marijuana is herb created by God and has the capability to make one feel high, should be legalized. On the other hand, some people highly believe in use of these drugs as a recommendation from traditional medicine men and women who recommend them to their patients. example, â€Å"Marijuana, is said to have important therapeutic effects and its seeds are highly nutritious† (Gottfried, 2010, 28). However, this has been met with considerable controversy. â€Å"Marijuana has been said to relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms occasioned by such illnesses as cancer and HIV/AIDS† (Aquino, 2005, 1). ... It is crucial to note that even if some researches indicate such importance of marijuana, it should be only used under directions of a qualified medical practitioner. Proponents’ of view on legalization of illegal drugs Proponents of legalization of illegal drugs argue that legalizing drugs is the only solution to win the war against these drugs. It is true that the war against illegal drugs is an expensive undertaking. According to Worth, (2010), it involves expensive training of police officers and other agents in the war against drugs. In fact, proponents argue that the government can make large sums of revenue from the sale of these drugs instead of wasting a lot of resources to fight the same business that would otherwise benefit it. They believe this is the war the government can not win because dealers of these drugs invent new strategy to evade police arrest every new day. At the same time, they claim that if these drugs are legalized, many people will make money by in volving themselves in the drug business. Charles, (2008) noted that â€Å"this goes hand in hand with the idea that drugs encourage and attract criminal activities† (43). To counteract this, the proponents of legalizing these drugs argue that people engage in criminal activities due to unemployment and idleness (Gottfried, 2010). It is surprising how they argue that drug use is a personal decision, and it involves the life of the user. They argue that those that take these drugs have personal benefits accrued from these drugs. Some cite the importance of leisure, which is obtained from these drugs, and they argue that â€Å"all people have a right to choose the kind of leisure to have from the available choices†

New Ideas in Lighting Get Closer to Market Research Paper

New Ideas in Lighting Get Closer to Market - Research Paper Example The scope of saving energy and the techniques required may vary from place to place but it is regarded switching to more eco-friendly and energy efficient source as it helps in reducing the CO2 emissions by a significant number (CARDWELL, 2014). Adapting to energy efficient sources usually costs more money up-front but in many cases the capital outlay will be paid back in the form of reduced energy costs within a short period of time. This makes switching to energy efficient sources more attractive and budget friendly. In order to conserve and save energy in terms of light bulbs, green lights are the most efficient option available today to save more energy. Incandascent bulbs have been the mainstream bulbs we have known. Incandescent use more electricity during the process of production of heat hence they are short-lived and need constant replacement. Usually homeowners would argue that energy saver lights such as the LED and other energy saver bulbs or energy saver light bulbs are less expensive than ever before and provide superior light quality, and quickly payback in the form of saving energy and reducing replacement costs. LED lights are more affordable and flexible now. These incredibly efficient and technologically advanced lights will be the lights used in future. There are other lights bulbs which are also energy efficient, such as the CFL (compact florescent lights), which have come a long way and can be fitted into the same socket as the incandescent bulbs (smartandgreen.eu, 2014). This is the most common type of lighting in homes, owing to the fact that it is affordable and comes in a vast range of sizes, shapes, and wattages. The drawback of these bulbs, however, is that they are inefficient. They produce light by heating a solid material until that material produces a glow. In the process, much energy is consumed as a result of the heat that is produced. As a

My interersting travelling Essay Example for Free

My interersting travelling Essay The advantages of group learning As students are trained in the form of credits you probably already know and familiar with concepts such as group exercises , group discussions , group work But not with any student or group of students who also exploit the positive approach of this study . The cause of this situation comes from the students who , or sometimes from the other objective reasons . The advantage of this method of learning is almost always students aware and undeniable . Learning environment group will actively promote the learning of individuals , creating cohesion in a community . While working in groups , the contradictions that arise from student to resolve conflicts . From there , they will have the ability to resolve conflicts , to convince others of the situation may be encountered in later life . The spirit of learning and the ability to listen to others and will be what students will learn . These skills are very important when you step out of the work environment and this would be a good premise to know how to work in a team environment . Work , group discussions, not merely at the request of teachers set for students , but more importantly it is the study of student research . Study groups will gather opinions of individual creativity , from which the product will be rich academic creativity . The best method will be selected from the comments yet. Learning products will now also be the result of all the members . School groups are not effective , why ? The positive aspects of group learning methods is undeniable . But no group of students also achieved the highest results with this method of learning , even sometimes some students feel it brings a lot of forms and achieve less effective than individual work people . So the reason why ? First, a number of students considered that the group work exercise of  collective psychology so often not my job , everyone except himself . As a result, no one common father cry . Many think that school groups will be very comfortable as it is a form of learning by playing , learning to speak , thrown across his back turned another thing about this table It s so wrong . Since you are self- wasting his time in vain . Second, learning requires self-discipline team of each team member . The work is similar to the operation of a production line . Lines will not work , or work less effective if a part does not work or does not work properly function . If a team member does not work as assigned will result in the group will work stalled . The third reason , which is the division of labor is not clear . Sometimes a team member to take on too much work , while members have nothing to do . The work of the group is often put too much for the leader , sometimes even product is the result of individual rather than the leader of the group of products . Conversely , sometimes the leader hug too much work for her to lead the others self-love and the result is uncooperative . How to learn good team ? There are many causes of this learning method is not effective . Both objective reasons and from the school itself . So how to approach learning the most effective team ? First of all assigned work is reasonable . This depends on the role and ability of the leader to direct . When the work is clearly divided for each member they will be aware of his role , is responsible for completing the work . It is especially important to say to the self- consciousness of individuals in groups , students should find themselves responsible for a part of it , and the finished product has a contribution herself . A group is only effective when the members have self-consciousness : self-awareness of time , homework , self-awareness speech Only when each student develop  highly independent spirit , think about issues that need to provide learning research group that studies the group , the new group is promoting effects . And finally , the spirit of learning , listening hard , hard for that team will be the key to a successful exercise group . School performance group only when it is done on the basis of preparation of the content and methods of all members of the organization . With a networked computer , you can voice chat to discuss , study groups with friends everywhere just to save time , to be effective ! Please prepare yourself for a serious academic attitude and an effective group ! I hope to share on your part to help the students gain interest in learning groups , especially the effectiveness of learning with this method !

Role of UNICEF and the International Labour Organization in the Working

Introduction This paper deals with the role of transnational actors like UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the working children’s movement. It examines the role of development communication in empowering working children, and its impact on the movement. The paper begins with a brief introduction to development, linking it with issues concerning working children. It then goes into a brief overview of UNICEF and the ILO, and talks about the role of each in the international working children’s movement. It evaluates one program executed by each of the organizations in dealing with a development situation, in terms of intent and purpose, policies and procedures, obstacles faced, and the outcome of each effort. I then present my critique of strategies followed by both actors and my conclusion from this comparative analysis regarding the effectiveness of each actor. As this is a topic that has been of concern to me for a while, this analysis might appear to be a bit subjective to the reader, but I have tried to bear in mind objectivity, and did extensive research on both organizations to make sure that I was looking at a wide enough body of work. The research consists mainly of information I found on both websites as well as a few books and journal articles. It also comes from the first hand experience of a non-profit organization that works with issues concerning working children, who have worked closely with the ILO and the United Nations. A transnational actor can be defined as a person, business or organization that operates across borders and has some impact on world societies and environments. It became apparent to me as I was doing my research that transnational actors often have admirable... ...tion to make sure the projects are meeting their goals. There needs to be constant monitoring of each new venture undertaken. Detailed evaluations of current projects and research for new strategies in place of older unsuccessful ones are essential, to make plans better cater to the needs of the children. Lastly I think there needs to be increased government and non-profit participation, and involvement of the children, to bring about the best kind of development. From a development communication standpoint, I think the ILO manages to utilize the most optimum model to bring about progress and change the status quo, wehreas this is largely lacking in UNICEF’s approach. BIBLIOGRAPHY Moemeka, Andrew. Development Communication in Action. University Press of America, 2000. www.unic.org.in/devsup13may.htm www.unicef.org www.ilo.org

Is there a market for wool suits that are washable?

Washable wool suits with finest material and craftsmanship are very popular among men. Many Australian and Chinese companies are now introducing machine washable new blend of wool suits for increasing the sale of these suits among professionals. In 2005, a Chinese businessman and movie star in joint venture with Helain Group introduced washable wool blend suits with high quality, special performance and easy care. Helian group is China’s one the largest manufacturers and retailers of menswear. They have around more than 250 retail shops in all over China and production of 3 million per year (Yin introduces, 2005) These suits were made with special blended material to maintain their style and shape even after machine wash. Retailers have always been interested in buying and merchandising washable wool suits to enhance their sales and popularize their use among new generation. Washable wool suits are marketed in key regions of China and Australia and displayed at several trade shows and exhibitions in retail stores. Washable wool suits, which were introduced in China, were made with Australian Marino wool. As these suits were introduced it was expected that demand for Australian Marino wool will increase. These wool suits were specifically introduced for increased performance and new innovative styles (Yin introduces, 2005). In 2003, Australian company AWI and Berkeley were the first to develop the technology of these suits. Later these were introduced in China in order to increase demand for Australian wool. Currently China is the largest buyer of Australian wool. Washable wool suits are also becoming popular among other Asian countries. According to Furong, President of Heilan, introduction of machine washable wool blend suits has put Heilan group at edge of others and a major step in improving their market share.   In addition, he believes that the suits they produced were easy to care, easy washable, convenience and cost effective and has huge market potential in China (Yin introduces, 2005). The need for machine washed and dried suits was also felt among American and UK professionals. Men are usually looking for suits that can be machine washed, dried and can be worn without the needed of ironing. However, one problem they face is wrinkles that appear soon after machine wash ruining the expensive fine suit. The second thing of concern to men is the need of well creased and pressed suits during their jobs and business meetings. Young professionals are more interested in having such suits. For some people suits are not just for convenience but they are worn to increase your reputability and status while you work among the company of respectable people, as noticed by a fashion historian, Anne Hollander (Rohwedder, 2006). Many professionals prefer machine wash than going to dry cleaner because its easy, fast and cost effective for them. â€Å"Kenny Cook, a 37-year-old desk clerk for Royal Mail in London, plans to buy one of the new suits for a friend's wedding later this month. Mr. Cook says he eats lunch at his desk and often drops a piece of his sandwich on his suits. ‘I can't be bothered to go to the dry cleaners,’ says Mr. Cook. ‘But I've mastered a washing machine.’† (Rohwedder, 2006) According to a report the new machine washable and dryer-friendly wool suits are made with 45% wool, 52% polyester and 3% lycra. That prevents wool to become as a wet as in its original form. Sale of such suits is also going high in UK and USA. However, most men think that these suits are not very hot, scratchy or shiny (Rohwedder, 2006). US retailers like Nordstorn Inc think that wash and dry suits is a great innovation and needs more development. But Catherine Hayward who is director of fashion design at British magazine thought that there is no need to have machine washable suits as these are needed to work at reputable organizations not for gardening or meat market (Rohwedder, 2006). However, different people have different thinking and many have considered a need for machine washable suits. Sales in China, USA, UK, and even in other Asian countries is gradually increasing. Works Cited Australia : Yin introduces Heilan’s washable wool blend suits (2005) . Retrieved from World Wide Web: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=10076   Beyond the Bale – Issue 16 – Wool Suits Chinese Buyers. Suitable Attire? Suit Goes in Washer, Dryer, But Traditionalists Recoil: ‘This is the Antichrist' (2006) Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114548666330130509.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

What Is Road Salt Chemical Composition

When cold weather arrives, stores stock up on big bags of road salt and you may see it sprinkled on sidewalks and roads to melt ice. But what is road salt and how does it work? Road salt is halite, which is the natural mined mineral form of table salt or sodium chloride (NaCl). While table salt has been purified, rock salt contains mineral impurities, so it is typically brownish or gray in color. Machines mine the salt, which is crushed and packaged for delivery. Additives may be mixed with the road salt to prevent caking and ease delivery using gritting machines. Examples of additives include  sodium hexacyanoferrate(II) and sugar. How Road Salt Works Road salt works by lowering the freezing point of water via a process termed freezing point depression. In a nutshell, the salt breaks into its component ions in a small amount of liquid water. The added particles make it more difficult for the water to freeze into ice, lowering the freezing point of the water. So, for road salt to work, there needs to be a tiny bit of liquid water. This is part of the reason why road salt is not effective in extremely cold weather  when water would freeze too easily. Usually, an extra source of water is not necessary because there is enough liquid water present, either coating the hygroscopic salt pieces or produced by friction from traffic. When cold weather is forecast, it is common to pre-treat roads with brine, which is a solution of salt and water. This helps prevent ice from forming and reduces the amount of road salt needed to de-ice the surface later. Once ice starts to form, road salt is applied in gravel or pea-sized chunks. Road salt may be mixed with dry or damp sand to aid the process, too. Other Chemicals Used as De-icers While rock salt is the most affordable and commonly used chemical to de-ice roads, sand also may be used. Other chemicals are also available. Most of these other chemicals are more commonly used for sidewalks or driveways. Each chemical, including road salt, has pros and cons. One of the biggest advantages of rock salt is that it is readily available and inexpensive. However, it does not work under extremely cold conditions and it does pose significant environmental risks. The primary concern is that the sodium and chlorine get into the ground and water and raise the salinity. Also, because rock salt is impure, other undesirable compounds present as contaminants are released into the ecosystem. Examples of contaminants include lead, cadmium, chromium, iron, aluminum, manganese, and phosphorus. There is no perfect de-icer, so the goal is to use the best chemical for the situation and to use the lowest effective quantity. Note that sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride are all chemically salts, so any of them could be correctly termed road salt. The chemicals listed as corrosive may damage concrete, vehicles, and other structures. Product Lowest EffectiveTemperature ( °F) Corrosive AquaticToxicity EnvironmentalFactors rock salt (NaCl) 20 yes medium tree damage potassium chloride (KCl) 12 yes high K fertilizer magnesium chloride (MgCl2) 5 yes high adds Mg to soil calcium chloride (CaCl2) -25 extremely medium adds Ca to soil calcium magnesium acetate (C8H12CaMgO8) 0 no indirect lowers aquatic O2 potassium acetate (CH3CO2K) -15 no indirect lowers aquatic O2 urea (CH4N2O) 15 no indirect N fertilizer sand -- no indirect sediments Deicer Chemicals Safer Alternatives to Road Salt All forms of salt pose some environmental dangers, so many communities have searched for alternatives to keep ice off roads. In Wisconsin, cheese brine is used as a de-icer. The brine is a by-product thats normally thrown away, so its free. Some towns have tried using molasses to reduce the corrosivity of salt. The molasses is mixed with saline solution, so freezing point depression is still active. The Canadian company EcoTraction makes granules from volcanic rock, which help melt ice because the dark color absorbs heat, plus it aids traction by embedding into ice and snow. The town of Ankeny, Iowa, experimented with excess garlic salt they had on hand. Another option, not yet in service, is to use solar power to help melt ice and snow so it wouldnt need to be plowed or chemically removed. Sources Elvers, B. et al. (ed.) (1991) Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 5th ed. Vol. A24. Wiley. ISBN 978-3-527-20124-2.Kostick, Dennis S. (October 2010) Salt in U.S. Geological Survey, 2008 Minerals Yearbook.